The Call
by Rac4hel414
Summary: Jack and Gabriella are about to be grateful they got a call... Based off of Matt Kennon's song, 'The Call' JxL, TxG


**A/N: I know it's been a while since I last updated any story but I've kind of had a writer's block. Eek. But, I found a song on youtube called 'The Call' by Matt Kennon. It has a really good message and it kind of hit home a little bit. Anyway, watch the music video, it is absolutely amazing. Anyway, I had to write something based on it so I wrote this. It's not brilliant. You guys should know I'm not good at writing oneshots but...here it is. I hope you like it :)**

**Dedication: I'd like to dedicate this oneshot to everyone who reads this. I'm not the most reliable writer on here. I don't upload perhaps as much as I should. But I always hope that whatever I writer (oneshot, story, break up scene or a wedding) makes you think about things. Although I'm pretty cynical about love, I do believe in it. I hope i give you the chance to believe in it, too. :)

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The Call

_If someone you know is weighing on your mind and needs a friend on the end of that other line, don´t hesitate what you say may seem so small but who knows? They might be glad you called._

Matt Kennon

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_**Dear everyone,**_

_**I am so sorry but living life after seeing everything out there in that war is just too much to bear. I know it's awful for me to do what I'm going to do but I can't see any way I can go on. I love you all until the end of time.**_

_**Jack**_

The twenty five year old set the note he had written on his pillow. His bed was made just as he'd been taught: symmetrical without a crinkle in sight. Jack had sat at his desk for almost an hour with his pen and the back of a phone bill as his only piece of paper. His pictures and certificates were hung on the wall, taunting him. It wasn't his choice. He'd much rather they be in a box in the back on his closet. But his best friend, David Danforth, had taken control of the hammer and nails and hung them all up in all of their glory.

Jack swiped his keys from his bedside cabinet and his tattered rucksack which he had used in high school. He ran down the stairs of his apartment building and darted fast as lightning across the parking lot to his beat up Chevy truck. As he climbed into the driver's seat and set his back on the passenger side, memories flashed before his eyes. There weren't sounds of gunshots and there wasn't screams of pain or even a drop of blood anywhere. It was when he and his father and fixed the truck up. When they had started the engine successfully, his dad had thrown the keys to him with such ease that it took Jack a moment to process the implications.

The memory brought tears to Jack's eyes. He and his dad had always been close. They were more like brothers than father and son. The thought of his dad almost made him get out of the truck. But 'almost' wasn't good enough. He'd made his decision and the clunk of the engine switching on just confirmed it. He drove through the streets of his hometown, Albuquerque, with tears in his eyes.

He pulled the truck to a stop in the middle of the woods. No one would find him for a while. He leaned over the steering wheel and finally collapsed into sobs. He'd seen too much. The problem with that is that he could never un-see it. He'd been in the army since he was eighteen. He graduated from East High and spent the summer with David and a few of his friends including the gorgeous Lucille Sullivan. Despite the fact that he had been the basketball captain and the most popular guy in school because of that, he had never had the confidence to talk to her outside of their drama class. As soon as the summer was over, when David began his college career at U of A and Lucille at Yale, Jack began his training for the army.

Those seven years were more than he thought they were going to be. He'd been fine while he was in Iraq and Afghanistan but once he came home, saw David and Lucille, he just couldn't take it. He'd seen his friends get killed. There were days when the slightest bang or clatter would have him flinching. He put on a brave face in front of everybody else but he couldn't stop the nightmares.

He reached across for his bag. He unzipped it and brought out the pistol gun he had from his parents' ranch. It was loaded. He could end the pain and the nightmares so easily. It would be quick and painless. He'd seen enough deaths to know that.

He felt his heart race when he heard his cell phone ring. He glanced at the gun and, before he could change his mind, he set it back on the passenger seat. Curiosity killed the cat, so they say. He reached for the glove compartment and pulled his phone out. He took a deep breath, hoping to steady his voice. David's name flashed at him. He flipped it open and held it to his ear. "Hey," he whispered.

David spoke with excitement, the grin audible in his voice. "Hey, man, where have been? I haven't seen you in days."

"I've been busy," Jack lied quietly.

David laughed heartily. "Well, I'm just calling to tell you we're heading down to the lake in Santa Fe this weekend. Are you coming? It won't be the same without you."

"I don't know," Jack admitted. "Who is 'we'?"

"Well, me, Sam, Jenny, Don and Lucille," he explained. "I mean, it's going to be like old times. Fishing, camping, sailing. Just like we used to. Are you okay?"

Jack ran a hand over his face. "Lucille? Lucille from our drama class?"

David sounded smug on the other end. "That's the woman. Free, single and a successful doctor at Albuquerque infirmary."

That still didn't mean anything. Jack glanced at the gun again. "I don't know. I'm kind of tired. I might just spend the weekend in my apartment."

"Did Jack Bolton just deny the chance to talk to Lucille Sullivan?" David exclaimed.

Jack sighed. "I guess I did."

"Well, it's your choice. But, I told her you were joining us and her eyes lit up. Just like they've always done when she's talked about you," David whispered. "Hey, she's here."

There was rustling on the other and a moment later, an angelic voice spoke into Jack's here. "Jack? Hey. How's my favourite wildcat doing?"

Jack took a deep breath. "I'm okay, thanks. You? David told me you're a doctor now."

She laughed softly. "Yeah, I am. I'm good. I've missed seeing you around this place."

"You missed me?" Jack asked.

"Yeah, I did. I hope can come to the lake," she admitted. "David wants his phone back. I'll see you later, yeah?"

"Yeah," Jack agreed. "That would be really good."

There was a moment of rustling again before David spoke. "See? I told you. Man, I hope I didn't catch you in the middle of anything."

Jack laughed to himself. "You kind of did but I don't care. I'm glad you called. I'm on my way. Give me ten minutes to get my stuff, okay?"

David laughed loudly. "That sounds more like the Jack I know and love. Alright, man. Ten minutes."

Jack quickly unloaded the gun and put everything back in his bag, making a mental note to take it to the police station when they came back from the lake. He reversed back to the street and pretty much broke every driving law there was in New Mexico to get to his apartment even quicker. In record time he had thrown his bag into his closet, ripped up the note and stuffed a duffle bag with spare clothes and swimming trunks.

He sped downtown to David's house and climbed out of his trunk. Everybody was busy loading hampers and bags into the bed of David's truck. Jack instantly knew that his truck would be needed. He climbed out and smiled weakly at David. The look in David's eyes let him know that he knew that something serious had happened with Jack and he wanted to know what.

When David was stood in front of Jack, he simply said, "Later," and hugged him. It took all of his strength not to break down sobbing right then and there. He realised that David had just saved his life and he knew that David would never know how grateful he was.

David pulled back and quirked an eyebrow. "You okay?"

Jack nodded. "Yeah, I am now."

"Hey, Jack," a bright voice called.

Jack turned and his breath hitched when he saw Lucille dressed in a white and blue striped tank top and some denim shorts. He could see the straps of a pale blue bikini tied around her neck. Her red hair...Her glorious strawberry blonde hair was straightened, framing her petite face perfectly. She waved at him and jumped down from the bed of David's truck and ran over to him. She jumped into his arms, embracing him tightly. He froze at the feel of her body against his before wrapping his arms around her in return. He inhaled deeply, losing himself in her violet perfume.

She pulled back and he saw that her brown eyes were glazed over with tears. She reached up and traced her thumb over the deep pink scar which ran across his forehead. It was almost invisible as it was close to his hairline. "I'm so glad you're safe," she whispered and kissed his cheek.

He wrapped her in his arms again, promising himself he wasn't letting her go again. "Me too," he murmured and kissed her head.

* * *

Twenty years had come and gone. It seemed crazy to think about his parents in a situation like this but Troy Bolton couldn't help it. That fateful day, they had got together. A year later, Jack resigned from the army and proposed to Lucille. Not long after the wedding, Lucille was pregnant and then Troy arrived. His life had been good. He grew up good and strong in a wonderful town and was best friends with David's son, Chad. He'd been the basketball captain and popular and even had relatively good grades.

It wasn't fair.

Troy threw the basketball towards the wire mesh which surrounded the basketball court in anger. He walked towards the grass and collapsed onto his back just as the tears began to fall. He didn't have much in this world. He had Jack, Lucille, basketball, Chad, his Chevy truck which Jack had given him, and one other person who was at the centre of his entire existence. He had gone seventeen years without knowing this person existed and now it was like he was on a drug. He couldn't go a day without seeing the beautiful face or hearing the glorious laugh.

Gabriella Anna Maria Juanita Costa-Brava Montez.

Possibly the most amazing girl he'd ever been with. Not only was she genuinely nice but she was also a genius and drop-dead gorgeous, no argument. Despite how they had surrendered their virginity to each other not long after their relationship had been established, Gabriella refused to let anyone else know and still looked as innocent as ever. They'd made love for the first time on Valentine's Day when Troy promised her that they'd be together forever.

They'd met on New Year's Eve at a Karaoke competition, which they had won, at a ski lodge and, unknown to them, Gabriella was moving to Albuquerque because of her mom's job. Gabriella was a petite girl, a lot shorter than Troy, but that only made him more protective of her and love her even more. Her Spanish, Chinese, Filipino, Mexican, Irish and Native American family tree gave her beautiful raven hair, chocolate eyes which were almond shaped, high cheek bones and naturally tanned skin.

Bottom line? She was perfect. She protested when he said that, stating that she was far from perfect. She got unbelievably shy around new people and in front of crowds – how she had got through the karaoke competition and two school musicals without fainting was still a mystery to her, she refused to show PDA which strayed far from kissing cheeks, she got obsessed with homework, she was so clumsy that she fell up stairs and tripped over her own feet... It was at that point that Troy usually grabbed her around the waist and kissed her.

She was his entire world. And he might possibly have just ruined both of their futures because of how much he loved her. Worst of all, because of his decision, it was possible that he had lost her, too. He kept crying as if his tears could be the one solution to everything. But he knew that the only thing it would do was cause his friends to tease him even more than they already did for being whipped.

Troy heard the sound of the back door shutting and he sat up, quickly wiped his tears away and he ran a hand through his sandy hair. Jack sat down on the grass next to him.

"Where's Gabi?" he asked quietly.

Troy twisted a few blades of grass around his fingers and tugged on them. "She's not here," he whispered.

"Did you guys fight?" Jack asked in shock.

Troy shrugged. "Sort of."

"If you and Gabi fight, what hope is there for the rest of us?" Jack joked. When the only response was a small smile that disappeared as quickly as it came, Jack's tone turned serious. "So what is it?"

Troy broke down crying again and Jack took him in an embrace. "It's all my fault. I feel so stupid," he cried quietly.

Jack pulled back and looked worriedly at his son. "Are you going to tell me what happened? You can tell me anything at all. I won't even tell your mom if you don't me to."

Troy regarded him. "Yes you would," he murmured. "You're like me. You're weak and can't stand to keep anything from her."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Guilty as charged. But, you can still tell me."

Troy sighed and stared at his knees. "How did you feel when mom told you she was pregnant?" he asked quietly as the tears started falling again.

Jack was silent. He opened his mouth and then shut it. He rested a hand on his son's shoulder. "Troy, is Gabriella..." He left the question hanging.

Troy lifted his head and nodded. "Yeah. She is. I'm a dad. I've made a mistake, Dad. I don't know what to do to make it right," he cried.

Jack shrugged. "Well, I mean, didn't you use protection or anything?" he asked awkwardly. Having 'the talk' with Troy had been bad enough the first time over five years ago.

"No!" Troy exclaimed. "The baby wasn't a mistake. I thought it was at first but I was wrong. I want this baby. I want a little girl to spoil and to be my princess or a little boy to play basketball with and go fishing with. The mistake I made was my first reaction. I was terrified. I thought my life was over so I..."

"What, Troy? What'd you do?" Jack asked worriedly.

"I convinced Ella to get an abortion. She's going to the clinic today. Dad, I really wish I hadn't. I want the baby. I know that Ella wants the baby. You know she doesn't believe in abortions. I can't lose them both. What do I do?" Troy cried.

"Well, isn't it obvious?" Jack asked. "Have you called her?"

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Gabriella glanced around the waiting room with wide eyes. Posters were tacked to notice boards warning about STDs and offering supporters for victims of rape. There was a horrible smell of disinfectant and, apart from a woman who was in her thirties; Gabriella was the only one in the waiting room. She curled her hair behind her ear and turned back to the form in front of her.

It wasn't what she had planned and she knew she'd have a lot of explaining to do to her parents and her older brother. She was going to be completely honest. Although she didn't want to abort the baby, she didn't want to lose Troy because of it. She needed Troy to be there with her for when they were married and ready to have a baby. She fingered the 'T' pendent which hung around her neck and knew that she needed him no matter the cost. After all, it wasn't completely Troy's fault. After their date about a month ago, she hadn't exactly protested when he had pulled up near a deserted creek and suggested they get in the back seat. It had been wonderful, just like every time before then. Troy had worshipped her just like he'd always done.

She sniffed and set the clipboard and pen on the table in the middle of the waiting room which was covered by magazines. She turned to the chair beside her and rummaged in her bag for some tissues and she pulled her phone out at the same time. She blew her nose and dabbed her eyes before stuffing the tissue into the pocket of her jeans. Her phone was set on her bag, visible to her. She reached for the clipboard and took a deep breath as she began filling it in.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned to look at the African-American nurse who was looking kindly at her. "Hey, Darling," she said softly. "Are you okay?"

Gabriella nodded wordlessly.

"Are you scared?" she asked softly.

"Yeah," Gabriella whispered. She tried not to show just how scared she was but the comforting smile given by the nurse let her know she wasn't doing such a good job. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Take all of the time you need. I just need to know how far along you are," she said softly.

Gabriella swallowed the large lump in her throat. "About five weeks," she whispered.

The nurse pointed to the seat next to her. "I'll let you go. You've got a call. Take all the time you need, okay?"

Gabriella set the clipboard on the table and picked her phone up. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of Troy's handsome face smiling up at her. She slid her phone up and held it to her ear. "Wildcat?" she asked, unsure what to expect. She flinched as the door slammed open and she looked over as Troy ran in. They both hung up their phones and Troy rushed over to embrace her tightly.

He knelt in front of her and held her hands. "Please tell me I'm not too late," he pleaded, his azure eyes red and puffy from crying. It was a miracle that he had managed to get to the clinic in one piece as his eyes had been blurred with tears.

"I haven't been in yet," she explained. "If that's what you meant."

Troy breathed a sigh of relief and kissed her fingers. "Oh, thank God." He lifted her shirt and leaned forward to kiss her stomach. He looked up at her as he pulled her shirt back down and shrugged. "I love you. I was wrong. About everything."

She smiled widely at him. "I love you, too."

He let go of her hands and reached into the pocket of his jeans. He pulled out a velvet box and snapped it open, revealing a modest engagement ring, perfect for Gabriella. "Sorry it took so long to give it to you. I bought it five months ago."

Gabriella lifted a hand to her mouth in shock. "Really?"

Troy nodded. "Yeah. I realised I want this baby. Boy or girl, pink or blue. It wasn't a mistake at all. I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you be my wife?"

"Yes she will," a voice whispered.

Troy and Gabriella both turned to the nurse. Gabriella laughed and turned to Troy. "Absolutely." She flung her arms around his neck and cried into his shoulder. "I'm glad you called."

Troy pulled her into a kiss and then pushed the ring onto her finger. "I really am sorry."

She shrugged as they both stood up. "Let's just go home." She picked up the clipboard and took it over to the nurse. "Sorry, I won't be needing this."

The nurse smiled as she took it from her. "It's fine. Congratulations. Go on."

Gabriella smiled brightly and went over to where Troy was to pick her bag up. She bit her lip. "Come on."

When they arrived at Troy's house, Gabriella was immediately brought into hugs by Jack and Lucille. It wasn't anything she hadn't expected. Despite how they were just eighteen, Jack and Lucille had always supported Troy's decisions and they knew that Gabriella wasn't leaving. She felt her eyes water and she pulled back from Lucille's embrace when she felt Troy's hand on her back. He leaned down and kissed her softly as he rested his other hand on her stomach.

Lucille wrapped her arms around Jack's waist as they observed the young couple. It seemed impossible to think that a phone call had changed Jack's life and now Troy's. As Troy pulled back from his embrace with Gabriella, he realised that the possible consequences of those phone calls not being made simply didn't bear thinking about.

He saw Jack's knowing look and chuckled to himself. "Thanks, Dad."

Gabriella sighed contentedly and leaned up to kiss Troy's cheek. She turned back to Jack and Lucille. "Thank you so much," she whispered. "I'm glad he called."


End file.
